Doris Day Dead at 97

The iconic singer and actress passed after a “serious case of pneumonia”

Doris Day (Photo by Hulton Archive/Getty Images)

Legendary singer and actress Doris Day has died, the Associated Press reports. She was 97. In a statement, the Doris Day Animal Foundation confirmed she passed away this morning, May 13. The statement reads: “Day had been in excellent physical health for her age, until recently contracting a serious case of pneumonia, resulting in her death.” It continues, “She was surrounded by a few close friends as she passed.”

Doris Day was born Doris Mary Ann Kappelhoff in Cincinnati, Ohio in 1922. She scored her first hit in 1945 with “Sentimental Journey.” Her success as a vocalist led to a career in films such as I’ll See You in My Dreams (1951) and Young at Heart (1953). In 1956, she starred in Alfred Hitchcock’s The Man Who Knew Too Much, which featured the Academy Award-winning song “Que Sera, Sera (Whatever Will Be, Will Be).” Day’s commercial breakthrough as an actress came with Pillow Talk, a romantic comedy co-starring Rock Hudson, who became a close friend and one of her most iconic screen partners.

Beginning in the ’60s, Day turned her interest to television, starring in the sitcom “The Doris Day Show” (1968-1973) and hosting the talk show “Doris Day’s Best Friends” (1985-1986). A memoir, Doris Day: Her Own Story, arrived in 1976, purposefully contrasting with the cheerful, innocent image associated with her film work. “I have the unfortunate reputation of being Miss Goody Two-Shoes, America’s Virgin, and all that,” she wrote, “so I’m afraid it’s going to shock some people for me to say this, but I staunchly believe no two people should get married until they have lived together.”

During the ’80s, Day mostly retired from the entertainment industry to focus on animal rights activism. She released her final album, My Heart, in 2011. “I enjoyed working and always tried to do the best job I could with every role,” she reflected in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter this year. “I’m thrilled to know that people are still watching my films and are uplifted by them.”